New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-01
CHARLES READE'S LIFE.
HIS GIFTS, HIS SORROWS AND HIS MIS-
TAKES

Rev. COMPTON READE- Harper Brothers.
This biography of Charles Reade is as the authors
distinctly state in the preface, mainly compiia
ton 1t Is taken from the journals. correspondence
and memoranda of the subject, but it contains also
considerable explanatory and narrative matter
The characteristics which distinguished Charles
Reade from the generality of men. and which were
accounted for by the conventional term " eccen-
trcity," are here shown In their crude beginnings
Something of his strong ndividualism he inherited,
but much more appears In him as original. From
the first he was self-centred unapt to borrow,
making laws for his own life, paying but light ae-
glance to conven tionalism, exhibiting In SNORT
many of those marks and signs OF strong character
and robust intellect which distinguished him In ma
ture life His childhood wasnot Of the brightest lie
passed under the harrow of that most lifting and
enduring of all Affections, subsection to the despot-
ism of 0 brutal schoomaster. The brutality oil tho
old school of teachers is scarcely comprehensive
now, but it left ineffaceable memories with the
generation that endured It, There is a true story
of an Englishman who had attained fame and for
| tune coming down to breakfast one morning looking
| pale and ag1tated Questioned. he replied that he
had slept badly, having dreamed that he was
once more under the mercless ferule OF the old
ruffian who bad fogged him through the classics IN
boyhood. So lasting the remembrances OF a
| time Of torture which it was then the fashion TO
approve as bracing and invigorating.
Charles Reade never forgot nor forgave the cruel
ties of this school, What effect the savage disci-
plne had upon his mind it is perhaps impossible to
determine but it may easily be believed that its
tendency was to increase that sensitveness which
was in after life at once source of literary power
and personal suffering to him. Passing to Mag
dalen College he manifested the dramatic bent
which he never after lost, and at the same time
quickness and facility of acquisition which stood
a.. fho
brefest notice. for his fellowship examination. He
obtained a third class in honors, and partly. it
must be admitted, by fortunate chance. For
whereas il was held necessary for candidates to
commit TO memory the whole thirty-nine articles.
seeing that they were sure 10 be asked TO reclte
some Of them. young Reade could not retain them,
and finally went into the dread presence OF the
examiners with only three articles on his tongue.
The odds were terribly against him, but his biog
rapher says he was clearly born with q silver spoon
in his mouth, for he was actually called
upon to recite one Of the three articles no
had alone been able to learn by rote. He
elected a law fellowship. ate his terms, and
read law more or less, but practised In his
youth he was gregarious, belonged TO no clique
or set, scorned TO play the sycophant cared moth
ing for appearances. He was an admirable dancer |
and it is recorded of him that than once both
at home and in college, he sprang on to the dining
room table and fiddle in hand there performed the
double-shuflle with skill and spirit that would
have delighted the gallery gods" At no time did |
he fall into coarse excessos Debauchery reDclled
him. and perhaps he owed some what of the cleauli.
ness of this part of his life to innate dislike of
both wine and beer After ending his collegiate |
career, though not his college connection, he went
on the continent. His letters thence afford no in
dication OF the literary power he was 10 acquire |
subsequently. They are commonplace. jejune, in |
no way noticeable He was in Paris during the |
revolution of 1S4S, and IN fact barely escaped with
his life; but when his return mis- brother, well |
coming him warmly exclaimed my dear Charles. |
you have had narrow escape of your life" he re-
pied solemnly: 81 have; they put me into damp |
bed at Boulogne"
Next occurred the inception Of that friendship |
with Mrs. Seymour which was never broken. Ills |
biographers declare with much emphasis that |
Reades relations with this lady were purely Pa
tonic. The world thrusts tongue in cheek at the |
mere mention of such an arrangement but in this
case the testimony appears unimpeachable.
That the two loved one another in |
very genuine way Is beyond question. |
Mrs. Seymours death broke Charles Reade's heart. |
and he never recovered from the shock But not
withstandng the depth and reality Of the afec- I
ton which subssted between them the integrity of
their relations never doubted. IL was at this |
earliest and indeed his latest ambition was to sue
coed in writing for the stage, yet in this he only
multipes the Astounding instances of men failing |
torecognize their strongest points and fretting
TO expend themselves upon enterprises for which |
their fitness is only second rate. Charles Reado was
a born novelist, not playwright. He did, indeed, |
both alone and in collaboration, produce some |
virlle and mertorious dramas, but it in fiction
that his full powers displayed, and 1t Is there
only that the height ofhis genius can be measured.
"Pep Wellington" and Christie TOMBSTONE" |
though slight III comparison with what were 10 fol- |
low them showed the public that new master Yves |
among them. The critics indeed with few excep- |
tons failed to perceive the strength aud freshness
and the high dramatic force of these stories, until
the play of Masks and Faces" drove the truth
home even TO the dullest brains But presently 1T |
is Never Too Late to Mend appeared, and then |
the new lumlnary's e1ulgence could no longer be |
denied or obscured The success Of that master
piece was prompt and conclusive The book |
revelation Scarce ever before had such fire and |
pathos such brilance of coloring. such sharp and |
clear description narrative 90 brisk, |
dialogue so lively, upheld a plot |
80 absorbing. 1t wasa succession Of tableaus, Of |
surprises All England, and soon all English-speak-
ing peoples. moved by the jail episodes by
the herosm of the Rev. Mr. Eden, by the pluck Of
Tom Robinson, by the beauty and sweetness OF
Susan Fielding by the Oriental wisdom and astu-
city of tho old Jew. 1t is interesting to have the
fact recalled that American critics went before their
English colleagues In recognizing the surprising
merit OF this great novel; OF the greatest feat
ures Of which is tho splendid success with which
the author has described scenes which he never
actually saw. There is nothing In literature moro
beautiful and faithful to nature than the descr1p-
ton Of sunrise in the Australian bush. Its |
mnuteness it's delicacy, its wealth Of observati
are such that il would seem TO have been done
the spot. Yet Charles Reade was never in Aus
trala. This is not the only instance of the kind in
his works. In Very Hard Cash there is a sea-
fight which Marryatt or Clark Russell might be |
.-Iol..a L.. LII IL IL IL.